Tim Brewster admires Indianapolis’ Tony Dungy as a football coach but listen to what he has to say about him as a person. Although Brewster knew Dungy before taking over as Gopher coach, he has become much better acquainted with him since January of 2007.
“…Just the classiest human being that maybe I’ve ever been around and met,” Brewster told Sports Headliners this week. “And the way he carries himself with such dignity, and the way he treats others is just amazingly inspiring. And to know that he’s a Minnesota Golden Gopher makes me extremely proud.”
Dungy, of course, quarterbacked the Gophers in the 1970s, later was an assistant coach at Minnesota and then worked as Denny Green’s defensive coordinator for the Vikings from 1992-1995. Although Dungy has been the Indianapolis head coach since 2002, this Sunday will be the first time he’s brought the Colts here for a game against the Vikings.
The Dungy name is part of the coaching gold standard in the NFL. He became the first African American to coach a Super Bowl winner when his Colts won XLI in 2007.
The Colts, 0-1 after losing their opener to Chicago, are favored to again win the AFC South. Indianapolis has won the last five AFC South titles. Dungy’s record with the Colts is 73-24 and his overall NFL wins and losses including his time at Tampa Bay as head coach is 136-75. His Colts have won 12 games or more each season for five consecutive years, an NFL record.
Why does Brewster have several photos of the former Gopher on his office wall? “Because it says everything about who we are to be associated with a guy like Tony Dungy,” he said. “He stands for everything that’s great in coaching in dealing with people. If I could be a quarter of what Tony Dungy is as a man, that would be more important to me than anything about being a coach.”
Brewster said Dungy was encouraging to him after his first Gopher team finished 1-11. He said a five minute phone conversation with Dungy can make him feel better.
The Vikings, 0-1 after Monday night’s loss to Green Bay, will be following precedent if they lose to the Colts on Sunday. Indianapolis has won 21 of 22 games in September and October since 2004.